Page 49 of A Bargain with the Fae King

“Give me a chance?” he asks. “Give us all a chance? Not just because we made a bargain, but because you give us life. In more ways than one.”

Chapter 15

Rumpledsheetsareallthat share the bed with me when I wake. Bright morning light slants across the room. Blue sky and puffy clouds linger beyond the foliage. The faint scent of honeysuckle still clings to the bedding, mixing with the leafy smell that permeates Riven’s rooms. He hadn’t touched me after our talk, nor asked for a kiss, but I’d shared his bed without argument, and somehow, his presence had lulled me into a mostly peaceful sleep.

I stretch, reveling in the beauty around me until reality catches me in a stranglehold.

May is still out there. Held hostage by the Unseelie because I’d been so foolish as to interrupt her rescue and not skilled enough to save her myself.

Of course I hadn’t. What was I even thinking? The truth—I wasn’t thinking at all. I had to save her. Had to prove I could do it and could erase my mistake of endangering her once again.

Still, I failed. Every. Damn. Time.

The weight of my failures drags like an anchor behind me as I dress for the day.

No sooner have I slid into the blue dress from the night before than the main door opens, and two fae walk in. Karin, I almost expect, but the blond woman who enters with her is a surprise, as is the matching tray of food she carries, so at odds with the guard uniform cloaking her body.

“Good morning,” I call.

Both of their countenances brighten at my words. That face. It hits me all at once. “You were at the battle. I saw you cut down an Unseelie.”

Her eyes widen, softening the masculine tint to her features. “You remember.”

Wearing guard clothes and with no real chest to speak of, she had blended right in with the men, unlike the other women in the guard who had a more feminine shape.

“That battle would be a hard thing to forget.” I try my best to smile. Fail.

“I’m Sylvie.” She sets her tray on the coffee table next to Karin’s. “Riven asked me to keep you company since he’s busy.”

Busy. I twist my hands behind me. No wonder he was gone this morning. Curiosity gnaws at me, but I hold my tongue.

Karin steps back and glances between the two of us. “Do you need anything else?”

“Would you like to eat with us? You could share mine.” I wave a hand at the tray she’s set down before me.

Karin’s smile falters, and her shoulders straighten. I flick my gaze to Sylvie, but she’s still smiling, expression unchanged.

“I’ve already eaten, my lady.” Karin twists one hand in her dress.

My lady. I nearly snort, but she’s so serious it would be inappropriate.

“Come sit and chat with us then,” Sylvie offers, still smiling. “Lia would like you to stay if you have time.”

Karin hesitates then replies, “All right. If it’s not a bother, I’ll stay.”

Thank you, Sylvie.If I made some error—probably—she smoothed it out.

The conversation is light and trivial, likely just to keep my mind occupied and lift my spirits. It’s everything I need. A few times, the companionship and friendly meal remind me so much of home that tears sting the corners of my eyes and the food loses its flavor. But then, Sylvie says something funny, and my worry for May, Dad, and Elise slips ever so slightly back into the depths of my heart and mind. By the time our plates are almost empty, Sylvie has both Karin and me laughing about a mishap one of the guards had on his horse a few days ago.

“I’m going to the stables if you’d like to join me,” Sylvie offers.

Oh?I stiffen. “I thought we’d be leaving today? To fix the wards and search for my sister.”

“We are but not until this evening.”

I bite my lip, holding in my frustration. Just sitting around here isn’t helping.

Karin busies herself stacking plates and trays. “I have things to attend to. I’ll take these to the kitchens on my way.”

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